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I found equality.
Men from completely different walks of life meeting as equals. Age, occupation, wealth and social position mattered very little.
What mattered was the individual.
People join Freemasonry for many different reasons. What brought me to it and what has kept me here, however, are rather different things.
Freemasonry has existed for more than 300 years and, perhaps inevitably, an extraordinary collection of stories, myths and suspicions has grown up around it.
Like many people, I knew very little about what actually happened behind the doors of a Masonic Lodge or what motivated people to become members.
What I actually discovered was considerably less mysterious — and considerably more worthwhile.
What impressed me wasn't secrecy or ceremony. It was the way people treated one another.
Men from completely different walks of life meeting as equals. Age, occupation, wealth and social position mattered very little.
What mattered was the individual.Friendship, integrity, kindness, charitable giving and service to others — values that aren't simply talked about, but encouraged in the way we treat one another.
An environment in which good manners and courtesy aren't considered old-fashioned. We listen, we shake hands and we look out for one another.
Your word still means something.“For me, Freemasonry has become one of the remaining bastions of decency and decorum.”
Not because those qualities have disappeared from the world outside, but because within Freemasonry we make a conscious effort to preserve them.
There is friendship, laughter and good company — but there is much more to it.
Over the years it has given me greater confidence. It has taught me to stand in front of a room and speak, to communicate, to listen and to take responsibility.
It has introduced me to people I would probably never have encountered in my everyday life. Some have become very good friends.
Leadership isn't always about being the person at the front of the room.
Sometimes leadership means listening. Sometimes it means supporting somebody else.
And sometimes it simply means being prepared to roll your sleeves up and help.
That has probably been one of the more valuable lessons Freemasonry has taught me.
There is always something we can improve — in our character, our relationships and in the contribution we make to the lives of others.
That, to me, is what people really mean when they talk about Freemasonry helping to make good men better.
The best way to find out is simply to meet us. No ceremony, no commitment and no expectation — just an informal conversation over a coffee or a drink.
Come & Meet Us →Ask questions. Meet some people. Make up your own mind.